1.1 Knowledge of the principles of lifelong learning
Observing the learning activities in Site 3, it is evident that the TL has a firm understanding of how to motivate the children to undertake their learning tasks with enthusiasm. The TL used a blended learning approach to a History unit, in collaboration with the class teacher. The TL and the teacher collaboratively planned the History unit. The TL then sourced all the relevant materials and created a specific learning space in the library. The class then went up to the library with the teacher for the History lessons which used a blended learning approach.
This learning approach has the significant advantage of being able “…to cater for individual needs.” (Graham, 2006) and not only that, but blended learning also utilises the best of both worlds “This can mean using the best of the best – the best use of online learning to enable classroom activities to be active and engaging learning experiences’ Graham, (2006) Furthermore, Salmon supports this “…motivation, perseverance and especially enthusiasm are preconditions for the success of using e-tivities,” It is crucial that the teacher, or more correctly, the facilitator of blended learning activities has a high level of motivation, as their enthusiasm and passion for learning seems to ‘rub off’ on the students in the classroom, which ensures that they become enthused and engage in the activity and learn from their experiences.
Blended learning lends itself so well to the Constructivist theory as it relies on using a combination of online and face-to-face learning and teaching, or as Graham(2006) so cleverly states that it is “…also called hybrid learning…” and “A significant advantage of a blended program is the ability to cater for individual needs.” Catering for the students in this way, allows them to develop sound skills for lifelong learning, which is something I believe is important across all learning experiences.
Reserach using web based tools
Literature discussion
Catering for individual needs
Encouraging collaboration
1.2 Knowledge of learning and teaching
Excellent teacher librarians are thoroughly familiar with the information literacy and information needs, skills and interests of learners
Information literacy is critically important because we are surrounded by a growing ocean of information in all formats. Not all information is created equal: some is authoritative, current, reliable, but some is biased, out of date, misleading and false. (University of Idaho 2010) This statement clearly outlines a highly responsible task for the TL in the school. This expectation is clearly stated in the school handbook at Site 1, where it states that the students "...need access to a wide variety of resources and to develop the skills to evaluate relevant information." (School Handbook, 2010, p.9) . The TL actively endeavours to meet this expectation in a number of ways.
The TL at Site 1 has created learning centres which encourage the children to use a variety of materials to access information, such as video and DVD clips, online resources, printed media, as well as primary and secondary resources. Although the children actively use these resources, they still are unsure as to how to effectively access and evaluate the information with which they have been presented. Due to the fact that the children do not actually have to search for the sites themselves, they are not ascertaining the validity of the site, but merely using an online source, which, according to Gilton (1994), is not what information literacy is all about, ‘…information literacy goes beyond merely having access to and knowledge of how to use the technology--because technology alone does not guarantee quality learning experiences. And compared with library literacy, information literacy is more than searching through an online catalogue or other reference materials because information literacy is not a technique, but a goal for learners.’ It is therefore clear from this example that information literacy is not being addressed effectively at this site.
The American Library Association (2000) describes information literate children as ‘...those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information and how to use information so that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand.’ Bearing this in mind, I would ensure that I was involved in collaborative planning with teachers across all year levels to incorporate all curriculum areas to effectively develop a whole school approach to information literacy. It is important to start teaching the younger grades these skills, so that these skills can be built upon year after year. Brittingham (1994) endorses this by saying, ‘In order to produce learners who are information literate, schools will need to integrate information literacy skills across the curriculum in all subject areas beginning in the earliest grades.’ I would ensure that children are explicitly taught to analyse and evaluate information, weighing up its worth as well as how to locate and retrieve information. I would also encourage children to be creative in the ways that they present what they have learnt.
1.3 Knowledge of curriculum
Across all 3 Sites, the Teacher Librarians actively and enthusiastically thought up and created many opportunities for students to become enthused in reading. At Site 1 during Children's book week, (which spanned across 2 weeks) popular authors, Jackie French and Justin D'Arth and Roland Harvey were invited to talk to the students. Jackie French addressed the Early Years students, Roland Harvey the Middle Years and Justin D'Arth the Upper Primary students. There were book buying and signing opportunities for all three groups. Needless to say, this did promote reading of those specific authors' books. I would have engaged the students further by creating interactive displays in the library to create more interest in the authors represented. I would use this opportunity to glean from the students what they think of the books they have chosen to read, by encouraging them to write short book reviews which could be displayed on the shelves near where the books are found. Having interactive activities using iPads or computers is one way to encourage reluctant readers to become engaged in the joy of reading.
Fostering a love for reading in reluctant readers
Engagement in literacy based activities
Varying age groups working together
During 2012 Book Week, with the theme of "Champions Read", one Teacher Librarian interviewed children and teachers about their reading. Children and teachers were then encouraged to discuss similar questions in their classes. I believe that this could easily have been enhanced by encouraging students to design questionnaires of their own and interview friends, teachers, family members about their thoughts and habits of reading. These interviews could have been conducted using class sets of iPods and iPads. A selection of these interviews could then have been shared on the school portal for the wider community to enjoy. Not only does this make the students themselves think more about their own reading habits, but it gives them real purpose to designing and conducting an interview. In this way the teachers have a sound piece of assessment which spans across a few KLAs. Below is an example of the interviews conducted by the Teacher Librarian for Book Week 2012:
Another valuable tool which I have observed being used by the TLs at both Site 1 and 2, is the use of book trailers. Book trailers can be very valuable in promoting books for children as it utilises technology and it is a medium which is familiar to the children and one with which they relate to well. One of the Teacher Librarians worked in collaboration with Year 5 class teachers in planning a teaching unit on creating book trailers. Children were exposed to professionally created book trailers initially. Discussion surrounding the effectiveness of the trailers was discussed. Key points such as the "hooks" used by the creator were discussed. The use of text, images and sound were discussed and how they affected the viewer's response. Children were then exposed to trailers created by other children, and again discussion about the text, images and sound ensued. Students were then introduced to the use of storyboards and planning book trailers. Students were expected to write a book review first, to ensure they understood the brevity of reviews and trailers. Students then proceeded to create their own book trailers with much success. These were shared with the class and some of them were placed on the school portal for the wider community to view. I don't think I would have done that task any differently, given the success of the whole project. The students were highly engaged and produced work of an extremely high standard.
1.4 Knowledge of library and information management
Excellent teacher librarians understand that professionally managed and resourced school libraries are crucial to the achievements of the school community.
The aim of managing the school library collection effectively is to support and enhance the teaching and learning at the school within an information literacy context. The library collection should provide a collection which supports the curriculum and meet the diverse needs of the whole school community. In times past, the library collection was predominantly printed media; it is now far more diverse and includes visual resources, audio visual resources, electronic resources and online resources. Such a collection “…should meet the needs of the curriculum, learning styles, collection development and resource selection criteria of the school.” (ASLA & ALIA 1993, p.29). After an extensive stock take and weeding at the end of term one at Site 1, the physical resource collection numbered 16 530; which comprises of 16 111 printed resources and 419 electronic resources. The collection is higher than the recommended 10 454 for such a site as advocated by the Curriculum Corporation (2006, p31). The library at Site 1 is well resourced and caters well for the school community. The community is encouraged to give feedback as to what they would like to see available in the library for use.
A major aspect I would improve at Site 1 would be to develop sound policies in collaboration with the school community, as outlined by Debowski (2001, P.117) “The school librarian has to develop a number of collection related policies to ensure equal and fair access to all users.” Boyd (2006, p.8) suggests that strategic planning “…may determine the success of the library in today’s dynamic school environment.” Despite the fact that the library at Site 1 does not have any formal policies, it has a number of procedures which are carried out by the TL to manage the resources in the library effectively. These procedures include dealing with ‘Challenged Materials’ , ‘Lost or damaged books’ and ‘Overdue books’. Procedures are no less important than policies, but they are subject to change frequently due to problems which may arise or staff changes. Policies, on the other hand ‘…are statements of principle that should be reflected in the practices to be followed. They offer a general overview, rather than a step by step outline of the procedure…” Debowski (2001, p.123). It is therefore imperative that the library should have a formal policy.
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE
1.1 Knowledge of the principles of lifelong learning
Observing the learning activities in Site 3, it is evident that the TL has a firm understanding of how to motivate the children to undertake their learning tasks with enthusiasm. The TL used a blended learning approach to a History unit, in collaboration with the class teacher. The TL and the teacher collaboratively planned the History unit. The TL then sourced all the relevant materials and created a specific learning space in the library. The class then went up to the library with the teacher for the History lessons which used a blended learning approach.
This learning approach has the significant advantage of being able “…to cater for individual needs.” (Graham, 2006) and not only that, but blended learning also utilises the best of both worlds “This can mean using the best of the best – the best use of online learning to enable classroom activities to be active and engaging learning experiences’ Graham, (2006) Furthermore, Salmon supports this “…motivation, perseverance and especially enthusiasm are preconditions for the success of using e-tivities,” It is crucial that the teacher, or more correctly, the facilitator of blended learning activities has a high level of motivation, as their enthusiasm and passion for learning seems to ‘rub off’ on the students in the classroom, which ensures that they become enthused and engage in the activity and learn from their experiences.
Blended learning lends itself so well to the Constructivist theory as it relies on using a combination of online and face-to-face learning and teaching, or as Graham(2006) so cleverly states that it is “…also called hybrid learning…” and “A significant advantage of a blended program is the ability to cater for individual needs.” Catering for the students in this way, allows them to develop sound skills for lifelong learning, which is something I believe is important across all learning experiences.
1.2 Knowledge of learning and teaching
Excellent teacher librarians are thoroughly familiar with the information literacy and information needs, skills and interests of learnersInformation literacy is critically important because we are surrounded by a growing ocean of information in all formats. Not all information is created equal: some is authoritative, current, reliable, but some is biased, out of date, misleading and false. (University of Idaho 2010) This statement clearly outlines a highly responsible task for the TL in the school. This expectation is clearly stated in the school handbook at Site 1, where it states that the students "...need access to a wide variety of resources and to develop the skills to evaluate relevant information." (School Handbook, 2010, p.9) . The TL actively endeavours to meet this expectation in a number of ways.
The TL at Site 1 has created learning centres which encourage the children to use a variety of materials to access information, such as video and DVD clips, online resources, printed media, as well as primary and secondary resources. Although the children actively use these resources, they still are unsure as to how to effectively access and evaluate the information with which they have been presented. Due to the fact that the children do not actually have to search for the sites themselves, they are not ascertaining the validity of the site, but merely using an online source, which, according to Gilton (1994), is not what information literacy is all about, ‘…information literacy goes beyond merely having access to and knowledge of how to use the technology--because technology alone does not guarantee quality learning experiences. And compared with library literacy, information literacy is more than searching through an online catalogue or other reference materials because information literacy is not a technique, but a goal for learners.’ It is therefore clear from this example that information literacy is not being addressed effectively at this site.
The American Library Association (2000) describes information literate children as ‘...those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information and how to use information so that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand.’ Bearing this in mind, I would ensure that I was involved in collaborative planning with teachers across all year levels to incorporate all curriculum areas to effectively develop a whole school approach to information literacy. It is important to start teaching the younger grades these skills, so that these skills can be built upon year after year. Brittingham (1994) endorses this by saying, ‘In order to produce learners who are information literate, schools will need to integrate information literacy skills across the curriculum in all subject areas beginning in the earliest grades.’ I would ensure that children are explicitly taught to analyse and evaluate information, weighing up its worth as well as how to locate and retrieve information. I would also encourage children to be creative in the ways that they present what they have learnt.
1.3 Knowledge of curriculum
Across all 3 Sites, the Teacher Librarians actively and enthusiastically thought up and created many opportunities for students to become enthused in reading.At Site 1 during Children's book week, (which spanned across 2 weeks) popular authors, Jackie French and Justin D'Arth and Roland Harvey were invited to talk to the students. Jackie French addressed the Early Years students, Roland Harvey the Middle Years and Justin D'Arth the Upper Primary students. There were book buying and signing opportunities for all three groups. Needless to say, this did promote reading of those specific authors' books. I would have engaged the students further by creating interactive displays in the library to create more interest in the authors represented. I would use this opportunity to glean from the students what they think of the books they have chosen to read, by encouraging them to write short book reviews which could be displayed on the shelves near where the books are found. Having interactive activities using iPads or computers is one way to encourage reluctant readers to become engaged in the joy of reading.
During 2012 Book Week, with the theme of "Champions Read", one Teacher Librarian interviewed children and teachers about their reading. Children and teachers were then encouraged to discuss similar questions in their classes. I believe that this could easily have been enhanced by encouraging students to design questionnaires of their own and interview friends, teachers, family members about their thoughts and habits of reading. These interviews could have been conducted using class sets of iPods and iPads. A selection of these interviews could then have been shared on the school portal for the wider community to enjoy. Not only does this make the students themselves think more about their own reading habits, but it gives them real purpose to designing and conducting an interview. In this way the teachers have a sound piece of assessment which spans across a few KLAs.
Below is an example of the interviews conducted by the Teacher Librarian for Book Week 2012:
Bookweek2012 from Monique Hegarty on Vimeo.
Another valuable tool which I have observed being used by the TLs at both Site 1 and 2, is the use of book trailers. Book trailers can be very valuable in promoting books for children as it utilises technology and it is a medium which is familiar to the children and one with which they relate to well. One of the Teacher Librarians worked in collaboration with Year 5 class teachers in planning a teaching unit on creating book trailers. Children were exposed to professionally created book trailers initially. Discussion surrounding the effectiveness of the trailers was discussed. Key points such as the "hooks" used by the creator were discussed. The use of text, images and sound were discussed and how they affected the viewer's response. Children were then exposed to trailers created by other children, and again discussion about the text, images and sound ensued. Students were then introduced to the use of storyboards and planning book trailers. Students were expected to write a book review first, to ensure they understood the brevity of reviews and trailers. Students then proceeded to create their own book trailers with much success. These were shared with the class and some of them were placed on the school portal for the wider community to view. I don't think I would have done that task any differently, given the success of the whole project. The students were highly engaged and produced work of an extremely high standard.
1.4 Knowledge of library and information management
Excellent teacher librarians understand that professionally managed and resourced school libraries are crucial to the achievements of the school community.The aim of managing the school library collection effectively is to support and enhance the teaching and learning at the school within an information literacy context. The library collection should provide a collection which supports the curriculum and meet the diverse needs of the whole school community. In times past, the library collection was predominantly printed media; it is now far more diverse and includes visual resources, audio visual resources, electronic resources and online resources. Such a collection “…should meet the needs of the curriculum, learning styles, collection development and resource selection criteria of the school.” (ASLA & ALIA 1993, p.29). After an extensive stock take and weeding at the end of term one at Site 1, the physical resource collection numbered 16 530; which comprises of 16 111 printed resources and 419 electronic resources. The collection is higher than the recommended 10 454 for such a site as advocated by the Curriculum Corporation (2006, p31). The library at Site 1 is well resourced and caters well for the school community. The community is encouraged to give feedback as to what they would like to see available in the library for use.
A major aspect I would improve at Site 1 would be to develop sound policies in collaboration with the school community, as outlined by Debowski (2001, P.117) “The school librarian has to develop a number of collection related policies to ensure equal and fair access to all users.” Boyd (2006, p.8) suggests that strategic planning “…may determine the success of the library in today’s dynamic school environment.” Despite the fact that the library at Site 1 does not have any formal policies, it has a number of procedures which are carried out by the TL to manage the resources in the library effectively. These procedures include dealing with ‘Challenged Materials’ , ‘Lost or damaged books’ and ‘Overdue books’. Procedures are no less important than policies, but they are subject to change frequently due to problems which may arise or staff changes. Policies, on the other hand ‘…are statements of principle that should be reflected in the practices to be followed. They offer a general overview, rather than a step by step outline of the procedure…” Debowski (2001, p.123). It is therefore imperative that the library should have a formal policy.